On the path of life…

by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine

“Behold I am going to die. Of what use is the firstborn status to me?” With these words Esav declared that his path of life was not the same as Yakov’s. What exactly was the firstborn status, and why did Esav see no use for it?

The commentaries explain that the firstborn represented the person who accepted to promote and continue the legacy of their grandfather Avraham. In the world, Avraham was the icon of morality, belief in G-d, and kindness. The firstborn would be the priest. He would do the service in the Temple. The Midrash tells us that Esav asked, “What are the rules of being the firstborn?” Yakov responded, “There are many rules and regulations. For example, you may not do the service while you are drunk, or in a disrespectful way. Such violations are considered capital offenses.” When Esav heard this he replied, “If so, the firstborn is a death sentence for me and my way of life. I do not need it.”

According to the Midrash Esav rejected the firstborn status because its regulations would bring a death sentence upon him. What stopped Esav from accepting the firstborn is the death that would come from his not observing its requirements. In light of recent events, it is possible that Esav was talking about a different “death”, a path of life which he chose, and which made the firstborn status meaningless to him.

The commentaries wonder why many of the tests that Avraham was challenged with are recorded in detail, but the early test in which the king threw him into a fiery furnace to try to kill him, is only hinted at in the Torah but not clearly written. They explain that the Torah does not want death – even for a noble cause- to be a focus of the religion. Ours is a religion of life. While it is true that we are willing to give our lives up so as not to worship idols, such self sacrifice is not emphasized in the Torah because it is not meant to be our focus. Instead we are expected to live moral lives.

In our time we have seen the development of a culture that glorifies death. A generation is being raised who thinks that life is expendable and that the greatest goal is to die while trying to damage others. For this they are promised reward in heaven and to be remembered as martyrs.

Esav, too, believed that life was cheap. He was quite comfortable risking his life, and was quite comfortable ending other people’s lives if they got in the way of his goals. The firstborn, in contrast, was to be a continuation of Avraham’s legacy of kindness, a legacy that believed in the sanctity of life. Esav’s response may very well have been, “Behold I have chosen the path of death. Of what use is the legacy of Avraham.”

This week, the world suffered the pain of a terrorist attack on people praying peacefully in a synagogue. The horror and the pain border on the unbearable. But what is additionally troubling is that some world leaders approach the event as if it were a counseling session where sympathy for all involved is the strategy used to reach reconciliation. As Americans we do believe that people are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But that entitlement comes in conjunction with a social contract. This social contract is not just about shoveling an elderly neighbor’s walkway after a snowstorm, or checking on them during a heat wave. The social contract that we have with our neighbors is that we will not preach hate and violence in our homes, schools, or houses of worship. When neighbors observe their social contract, the goals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness follow naturally. When there is trouble, sympathetic counseling and dialogue can do much to restore relationships.

The legacy of Avraham is widely accepted by many cultures throughout the world. It is a legacy of kindness and advancement. It is a philosophy of introspection and integrity. It produces cultures that abhor war, and will engage in such only for purposes of safety and defense. Perhaps this is what Avraham prayed for when he exclaimed, “If only Yishmoel would live…”

Sometimes a subculture will choose to reject the legacy of Avraham. We live in a world in which G-d allows people free choice. We might not be able to influence the decision of a subculture to choose terror. But we can carry the firstborn responsibilities with dignity, and continue to illuminate the world with the clarity and the kindness of Torah and good deeds.

© 2014 by TEACH613™